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Retro SciFi of the Week…
Cloud Atlas (2012)
Not so retro, but it’s one of the best science fiction films ever made and aside from ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’, perhaps the very best. It includes an ensemble cast of some of the most accomplished actors in the world.
The breadth and depth of this film is enormous and the quality is completely uncompromising. It uses a nonlinear narrative (lots of flashbacks and flashforwards) with an intricate plot and the actors play multiple roles, so it may be confusing on first viewing. This film demands a lot work from the viewer – it will probably take you at least three viewings to begin to understand it. If that’s not your thing, then I’d recommend you go watch ‘Sharknado (2013)’ instead.
The primary philosophical conclusion reached by the film is absolute bunk, but that doesn’t detract from its story and entertainment value. (And the presentation of its thesis up to that point is sound.)
Spoiler: revelation about this clip...
**** SPOILER *****
I just watched a youtube video review of this film and the reviewer also noticed that the Sonmi character was speaking about the film itself, except they saw it in another scene. When the interrogator asks, “And what if no one believes this ‘truth’.”
Sonmi replies, “Someone already does.”
In the narrative, she is referring to the interrogator believing her truth. But the youtube reviewer saw this as also referring to the audience believing what the film is offering, with the Sonmi character again speaking for the film.
Now I wonder if there are more instances of that character being a metaphor for the film. Obviously the presentation of her philosophy is the overarching message of the film, so it makes sense. I guess I’ll have to watch it again…
@Pat
I liked this one. But I only watched it once... 
possible spoilers
Did you understand it?
possible spoilers
@Pat
I don't know. My memory is a bit foggy about it. Perhaps I should watch it again... 😅
possible spoilers
The second time through should be easier.
possible spoilers
@Pat
That's what people use to say. 😉
@Pat Mmm, don't think I ever watched this. You reckon I should add it to my queue?
Absolutely recommend this one. But you need to understand going into it that it's a very complex film. It requires a lot of concentration and thought just to understand the basic plot, let alone all the nuances. A lot of people just like to be entertained without having to think too much, so this would not be for them.
And you’ll need to watch it a few times to get into it. I’ve watched it probably 3-4 times now, yet I still find a lot of new stuff from it when I watch it. For example, the clip I chose for this toot was picked because it demonstrates the variety of scenes in the film (the clip is unedited, that 26 seconds is exactly how it is in the film). But when I watched it again after I posted it, I had a huge revelation about the significance of that clip. (Can’t say more without spoilers)
I think you get what I mean about the type of film this is. If you like films that make you think and *require* you to think, then this is one of the very best.
@Pat Damn! That's so true. I love that movie. You sound like me when I was breaking down Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind after first watching it.
Yeah, that was a deep one.
Can you post your critique here? (On mastodon, not necessarilly in this thread.)
Spoiler: revelation about this clip...
After I posted this toot and clip, I realized that this particular clip has much more significance than I had realized.
Obviously, for those who have seen the film, the voice-over dialog by Sonmi is about her becoming "woke" about her own oppression and her potential. However, what I hadn’t previously realized is that this particular point in the film is a narrative midpoint, about which the film pivots, presenting a mirror between the first half and second half of the film. The first half introducing the six separate but similar sub-narratives, while the second half mirrors the first, but resolves those initial sub-plots in a reflective manner. The dialog itself hints at this, “Knowledge is a mirror, and for the first time in my life I was allowed to see who I was… and who I might become.” Sonmi’s character is acting a transient meta-metaphor for the film itself – realizing what the (first half of) the film is and what it will become.
This film is amazing. You can take as far as you want...